But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.  (12) Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.  (13) I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontus Pilate, (14) that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, (15) which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, (16) who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable  light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power.  Amen

Well wow to verses 13 through 16.

The Apostle Paul wrote this  letter to Timothy.  Timothy was called by God, mentored by Paul, confirmed by the church elders and now it seems he was alone in Ephesus facing opposition there. Timothy was facing theological and philosophical error and needed courage, fortitude, and steadfastness and Paul is giving Timothy a charge to maintain integrity in his ministry.

Our verses today begin with Paul addressing Timothy as “O man of God” – a title reserved in the Old Testament for the prophets and used only here in all of the New Testament. Paul is talking about false teachers at Ephesus and advising Timothy to flee the characteristic of their teaching – to flee pride and conceit in knowledge; to flee combativeness and to flee a desire for material gain.  Paul tells Timothy to follow after righteousness with God, not just as behavior but as a belief. We are, through Christ Jesus, no longer guilty and have been made right with God. This relationship now with God is the MOST important thing in our lives.

Proper theology and sound doctrine is not just practical but it is all – our expanding awareness of God and His constant presence is what will give us the integrity to remain true to our testimony, our faith in Jesus. This gives us security, joy in life and our only real happiness as this life we lead now is ephemeral and we are told to “lay hold on eternal life”.

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, (13) although I was formerly  a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.  (14) And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.  (15) This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.  (16) However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all long suffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.  (17) Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory for ever and ever, Amen 

The letter to Timothy is a pastoral letter written by the Apostle Paul to his spiritual son, Timothy.  This letter was written near the end of Pauls life and the purpose of Paul was to charge Timothy to reject those who were preaching a false gospel.

Paul is using his personal testimony to the gospel he preached –  that salvation is through God’s mercy and free grace.  The source of grace is through Christ Jesus and not through any merit on the part of man. Faith itself is a gift from God and comes with grace – faith is not of ourselves.  The gospel is a message of God’s transforming grace for sinners and Paul presents himself as chief of those sinners – if Paul could be transformed, anyone could be a new man/woman in Christ.

Only in the pastoral letters does Paul use the phrase “this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance”.  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – and man is a sinner by nature. Verse 15 summarizes the gospel on which  Timothy should base his ministry.

God transforms lives and the whole passage is praise to God for salvation in Christ Jesus. Further, in using himself as a model for the transformative power of God, Paul makes a distinction between ignorance of the truth and willful rejection of the truth.  The latter rejection by man puts him in danger of losing out on God’s grace forever. That poor soul may be hardened beyond repentance.

yet for Christ’s sake I rather appeal to you – being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ – (10) I appeal to you for my son, Onesimus, whom  have begotten while in my chains,…….(12) I am sending him back.  You therefore receive him, that is my own heart, (13) whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.  (14) But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary. (15) For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, (16) no longer as a slave but more than a slave – a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. (17) If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.  

The Apostle Paul write the letter to Philemon. This letter was the shortest and certainly the most personal of Pauls letter – and it was written while Paul was in chains in Rome. Philemon was a Christian from Colossae who was also a slave owner (the Bible never directly attacks ownership of slaves).  Onesimus was a slave of Philemom who stole from his master and ran away-  led by God to Paul who led him to Christ. Both Paul and Onesimus realized that as a Christian Onesimus needed to make things right with Philemon, including restitution for the theft. So this letter is an appeal by Paul on behalf of Onesimus, that Philemon accept this runaway slave as not just returned “property” but as a brother in Christ.

Paul could have asserted his Apostolic authority but he wanted Philemon’s forgiveness and acceptance completely and in Christ.  The focus of the letter is that faith in God changes us – we are new men/women. Paul is totally filled with love for Christ and he is completely immersed in god’s work. We get that Paul is sensitive, gracious amd loving. And funny. In this very personal letter we see the playfulness of the author – he even made a little joke saying that Onesimus – meaning useful – would become useful in his new Christian state. Onesimus had experienced a total change in character as a new man in Christ. He had changed his relationship with God – through grace- leading to change of relationship with his fellow man. Onesimus has really changed from useless to useful.